SEC Tourney: South Carolina, Vandy advance

Sunday

May 30, 2004 at 8:31 AMMay 30, 2004 at 8:32 AM

By JOHN ZENORAP Sports Writer

Memo to South Carolina and Vanderbilt hitters: Good luck Sunday. You might need it.

Billy Buckner pitched six shutout innings and the Gamecocks beat top-seeded Arkansas 3-2 Saturday in the Southeastern Conference tournament, setting up a championship game matchup between two teams who have been giving opposing hitters fits.

South Carolina (44-15) is seeking its first SEC tournament title.

Vanderbilt beat Florida 6-5 in 12 innings earlier Saturday. Both finalists are 3-0 in the tournament, giving up 14 runs in a combined six games despite somewhat shaky efforts Saturday.

"We're going against one of the hottest teams around with that pitching staff," South Carolina coach Ray Tanner said. "They don't give up anything.

But, he added, "We've been pitching pretty well, too."

The final inning Saturday might have been an exception.

South Carolina took a 3-0 lead into the ninth against Arkansas (39-21), then reliever Chad Blackwell had to pitch out of a bases-loaded jam with nobody out. Jason Fletcher left after giving up a leadoff walk to Brady Toops.

Blackwell gave up a single to pinch-hitter Bubbs Merrill and an infield hit to Scott Bridges to load the bases. Jake Dugger drove in Toops with a single, then Blackwell struck out Casey Rowlett and Brett Hagedorn drove in another run with a sacrifice fly.

Scott Hode grounded out to third to end the game.

Tanner wasn't feeling too comfortable entering the ninth, even with a three-run lead.

"They didn't look like they were beaten to me," he said. "There wasn't any doubt in my mind they were going to put some pressure on us in that last frame."

Jake Dugger of Arkansas matched South Carolina's hit total in going 4-for-5.

Brendan Winn went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs for the Gamecocks.

South Carolina pushed across an unearned run in the first. Steven Tolleson reached on an error by third baseman Bryan Triplett to lead off, then advanced to third on a pair of groundouts. He scored on Winn's single to right.

Landon Powell and Winn had back-to-back RBI singles in the sixth.

South Carolina starter Billy Buckner (6-2) dodged trouble for six innings, allowing six hits and three walks but no runs.

Buckner struck out Hode on three pitches to leave the bases loaded in the third and stabbed a hard liner up the middle to leave runners on first and third in the sixth.

"Right when he caught it, I was shocked," Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. "You don't ever want to see a guy get hit by a line drive, but you don't want to see him catch it either.

White allowed three runs, two earned, in five innings and Goodner allowed just one hit and no walks in four scoreless innings of relief.

"I felt like we were one big hit away from winning - and not just in the ninth inning," Van Horn said. "We had our chances early.

"Little things kept us from maybe getting over the hump. As we've been doing all year, we found a way in the ninth to make it interesting."

This time, Vanderbilt's pitchers proved mortal and the Commodores had to rely on timely hits and a catcher with one RBI all season.

In the end, reserve catcher Matt McGraner's game-winning single in the 12th inning lifted Vanderbilt to a 6-5 victory over Florida Saturday and into the Southeastern Conference tournament championship game.

The seldom-used McGraner kept the Commodores (42-16) unbeaten in the tournament, driving in his second run of the season. Seeking its first tournament title since 1980 and second overall, Vanderbilt will face the Arkansas-South Carolina winner on Sunday.

"It probably still hasn't sunk in," said McGraner, who entered in the top of the 12th. "As a player, that's a moment you dream about and hope you get an opportunity to succeed.

"It's great to get an opportunity in that spot and come through. It feels really good."

Tony Mansolino got things going with a one-out single and Aaron Garza followed with a blooper just out of shortstop Justin Tordi's reach in shallow left field. McGraner lined a single to right off reliever Matt Fuchs, allowing Mansolino to easily score.

Both teams went through the emotional gamut in the 11th.

Florida (40-20) scored twice in the top half on RBI singles by Stephen Barton and Matt LaPorta.

Vanderbilt rallied and briefly celebrated an apparent victory. Warner Jones hit a bases-loaded double with two outs but the ball bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double and the third run was waved off, quickly ending the celebratory pileup at home plate.

"I thought it was over, then I saw the umpire waving his hands," Jones said.

The Commodores had pitched two straight shutouts in the tournament, but had their 21-inning shutout streak snapped with Florida's two-run second.

"That game right there was one of the best I've been (involved) with in terms of character, losing momentum, gaining momentum," said Corbin, whose team had beaten the Gators 3-0 on Thursday.

Florida tied the game 3-3 on Ben Harrison's RBI double with one out in the ninth after Adam Davis reached on an infield hit. Closer Ryan Rote then came in, striking out Stephen Barton and getting Matt LaPorta to flyout to the warning track in left field.

"Both teams just left it out there," Florida coach Pat McMahon said. "You could see the look in our guys' eyes and see that it hurt."

Vanderbilt's pitching was still strong if not as dominant.

Jensen Lewis (6-4) pitched a scoreless 12th, striking out two, to earn the win. Rote had seven strikeouts in 2-2/3 innings and struck out the side in the 10th in relief of starter Matt Buschmann, giving up two runs. Buschmann exited the game with one out in the ninth.

Ryan Klosterman homered to start the game and also doubled for Vanderbilt. Cesar Nicolas went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles while Antoan Richardson, Jones and Garza had two hits apiece. Garza was 2-for-2 after entering the game as a pinch-hitter in the ninth.

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